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We Blew it up at El Pueblo

With the start of Dia de los Muertos starts this weekend, folks are picking up pan de muerto (dead bread) to pile onto altars among photos, sugar skulls and candles for their lost loved ones. Don't risk losing control of your sweet tooth and swiping a bun from the dearly departed. Get your own.

El Pueblo Market (3600 Broadway, Eureka) has two sizes of the soft, pale yellow bread dusted with superfine sugar ($1 small). If you like a not-too-sweet raised doughnut rolled in crunchy sugar, this is for you.

Jennifer Fumiko Cahill

Behold, the bakery bounty.

But there you are with the green plastic tray and the tongs and this wall of glass cabinets piled with yellow buns, sprinkles, pastel-frosted rolls, wedges of cake and, wait, is that just a hunk of bread slathered in butter and dunked in sugar? Most of it is $1 apiece. Load up.

The coconut covered ball turns out to be scone-firm, bready muffin-top halves fused together with red marmalade. The chewy brown bun with a swipe of baked yellow frosting is full of cinnamon is lovely with a cup of strong coffee.

There are soft, bready cones are filled with vanilla custard and wedges of eggy cheesecake that's solid enough to eat with your fingers and totally justifiable as a breakfast item.